Manulife VP Explains AI's Role in Insurance

Manulife’s Lab of Forward Thinking (LOFT) is undergoing efforts to accelerate its adoption of new technologies. In April, the Canadian insurer’s U.S. unit John Hancock took a deep dive into blockchain—collaborating with startups ConsenSys and BlockApps. More recently, Manulife began exploring artificial intelligence and deep learning in its innovation labs through partnerships with Nervana Systems and indico data solutions. Once complete, the platform will serve as a means for research analysts to analyze and decipher natural language from public sources to make smarter investment decisions, the company said. Jesse Bean, LOFT’s chief experience officer and VP, head of innovation, global solutions delivery spoke with INN about how the insurer is exploring deep learning and how the technology fits into Manulife’s innovation strategy. INN: What exactly is deep learning? Jesse Bean:…